Manage Your Approach Shot Expectations

Ever feel like the golf gods are out to get you? You’re out there grinding, doing your best to hit greens, but instead, you’re stuck chopping out of the rough like you’re hacking through the Amazon. And don’t even get me started on three-putting from 15 feet. Nothing like watching your ball roll right past the cup again. It’s enough to make you want to bend your putter over your leg… but then you remember clubs aren’t cheap.

Sometimes we’re just way too hard on ourselves. It doesn’t help that we’ve been spoiled by watching the pros on TV. They’re out there dropping wedges to kick-in range from 100 yards like it’s nothing. You start wondering why you can’t do the same and forget that the guys on your screen are the best in the world. For example, Collin Morikawa is leading the PGA TOUR in strokes gained on approach, and not to burst any bubbles, but you're not Collin Morikawa… or Tiger's approach from the fairway bunker over water and people at the Canadian Open.

But hey, what if we flipped the script? Imagine a TOUR of everyday amateurs, televised on live TV. Just a bunch of hackers like you and me, chunking wedges and skulling irons on prime time. Pretty close to the Creator Classic or The Match, but way more relatable. I’d tune in just to see one guy hit a pure shot and lose his mind.

Here’s the thing though: You’re actually capable of hitting pro-level shots. Yeah, you really are, and we can prove it. It’s just that those shots might be few and far between, which is why they feel like winning the lottery when they happen. As Jon Sherman pointed out on his X account:

And that’s why we keep coming back. We know that we’ve got it in us, even if it only happens once every 18 holes. You rip one down the middle or stick one tight, and suddenly the world is right again. The bad shots disappear from memory, and you’re already daydreaming about your next round.

How Do You Actually Measure Up?

Arccos has a little something to help with that - our brand-new TOUR Quality Approach Shot feature. You know that one shot where you absolutely stuffed it, and everyone in your group gave you “the nod”? Yeah, now you can actually see if that shot was better than a TOUR pro’s for that specific distance. 

And curious as to what might be a good shot? Here’s how your game might compare based on handicap:

Find more similar stats in the Arccos App, that can help you improve and play smarter. 

Next time you’re out there, keep your expectations in check. You don’t have to play like a Tour pro to have a great time. Embrace the chaos, celebrate the little victories, and remember, those glimpses of grandeur are what make golf the maddening, magical game that it is.

So go ahead, grip it, rip it, and don’t worry too much if you don’t stick it within 10 feet every time. You’re not on Tour, and that’s perfectly fine.